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Yummylicious Chicken Tikka Masala

by: Meenakshi

I know, just by reading at the title you are already drooling. Chicken …… probably the most preferred and popular non veg item in whole world. In India, as well, chicken is the preferred non-veg food item. The favorite starter is the tandoori chicken and in the main course category, it would be Butter Chicken & Chicken Tikka Masala.

Have you ever thought that you can prepare Chicken Tikka Masala at home? Well, to your surprise, it is easy. Chicken Tikkas are the roasted chicken pieces or chunks that are further cooked in thick gravy called masala. That’s how the dish got its name as Chicken Tikka Masala. Chichen Tikka otherwise is a starter but the when served in gravy makes it a main course item.

Chicken Tikka is a dish in which the chicken pieces are marinated, grilled and then added to the thick and spicy gravy. The best way to eat is with tandoori roti aur naans.

Part A:

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast

1/4 cup yogurt

3 tsp minced ginger

3 tsp crushed garlic

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp mace

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp green cardamom powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

3 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp vegetable oil

Melted margarine (for basting)

Part B:

5 oz. tomato paste

10 oz. tomato puree

2 lbs. tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp green chilies

1 tbsp red chili powder

2 tsp cloves

8 green cardamoms

Salt To Taste

3 tbsp butter

2/3 cup cream

1 tsp fenugreek

2 tsp ginger, julienned

honey to taste

Preparation:

Whisk all of the ingredients in Part A together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breast, cut into 2 inch cubes.

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350º F. Bake the chicken for 8 minutes, basting with margarine twice. Drain excess marinade and bake for another 2 minutes.

While doing this, make the sauce in Part B. Deseed and chop green chilies. Put tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato puree in a pot and add approximately 4-1/4 cups of water.

Add ginger and garlic paste, green chilies, red chili powder, cloves, cardamoms, and salt. Cook over low heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Strain through a strainer and bring to a boil. Add butter and cream. Stir.

If the sauce tastes sour, add honey to taste. Add fenugreek and ginger juliennes, stir, and serve with the tandoori roti or Naan

Image credit: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/377157457_92fb694117.jpg

Ingredients to marinate:

Marinate for about 1 hour

500 gms Chicken boneless

4 tsp Ginger & garlic paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp dhaniya powder

Salt to taste

1/2 cup Curd - beaten well

To Marinate the chicken

Take the beaten curd and mix all the above powders together and add salt

Cut the chicken into medium size pieces and add it to the curd mixture, close the vessel with a lid and let it to marinate for about an hour.

For the Gravy
Ingredients:

1 Onion - chopped

Tomato puree - out of one small tomato

2 tsp Ginger & garlic paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Ginger & garlic paste

Salt to taste

Oil - 8 tsp

2 tsp garam masala powder

Coriander leaves

2 tsp Ground almond - (optional)

Fresh Cream is optional to garnish

Method :
For the chicken

After the chicken is marinated, take them and bake them well in a pan with the flame very low in the stove or we you can put the chicken on the grill and cook it till they are cooked

For the gravy:

Heat oil in a pan, fry onions till they turn golden brown.

Add ginger & garlic paste and let them fry till the oil separates

Then add all the masala powders to it, and then add the tomato puree.

Add salt to taste and then add little warm water and the ground almond paste its optional to add and let the gravy to come to a boil.

Then add the cooked chicken pieces, and let the gravy come to a boil after adding the chicken pieces.

Remove the dish from the stove and add the coriander leaves, and the cream (optional ) to garnish

Serve with tandoori roti or naan

Image credit: http://www.cookfood.net/images/product_46.jpg

Ingredients:
For marinade:

1 cup fresh yogurt (should not be sour)

1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsps ginger paste

3 tbsps garlic paste

3-4 tbsps garam masala

6 peppercorns/ 2 dry red chillies

3 tbsps lime/ lemon juice

1/2 tsp orange food coloring

1 kg chicken (breast or thigh) skinless and cut into 2" chunks

For the gravy:

2 medium-sized onions finely chopped

6 cloves garlic chopped fine

5 pods cardamom

1 tin (400 gms approx) chopped tomatoes or 6 medium-sized fresh tomatoes chopped fine

2 tbsps garam masala

2 tsps soft brown sugar

1 cup single cream

3 tbsps almonds blanched and ground to a paste

3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Grind the chopped coriander (keep some aside for garnishing) and all other marinade ingredients (except yogurt) to a smooth paste in a food processor.

Pour the above mix into a large bowl and add yogurt. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow to marinate overnight.

Thread the chicken onto skewers and keep ready.

Preheat your oven or grill to medium high (200 C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6). Place the skewers on the grill racks in your oven with a tray underneath to catch drippings. Roast open till the chicken is browned on all sides and tender. Keep aside.